of temperament, he never could have pictured the Frenchman at the Post Office, nor the gaming Yorkshireman. These are prominences seized by his whole audience, on whom, however, his most delicate touches of character are lost. His high finish of the Irish beggar woman with her "poor child," was never detected by the laughers at their trading duett of" Sweet Home!" The exquisite pathos of the crathur's story was lost. To please a large assemblage the points must be broad. Mr. Matthews's countenance of his host drawing the cork is an excellence that discovers itself, and the entire affair of the dinner is "pleasure made easy" to the meanest capacity. The spouting child who sings the "Bacchanal Song" in "Der Freischütz" from whence the engraving is taken, is another “ palpable hit," but amazingly increased in force to some of the many who heard it sung by Phillips. The "tipsy toss" of that actor's head, his rollocking look, his stamps in its chorus, and the altogetherness of his style in that single song, were worth the entirety of the drama-yet he was seldom encored. To conclude with Mr. Matthews, it is merely requisite to affirm that his "At Home" in the year 1826, evinces rarer talent than the merit of a higher order which he unquestionably possesses. He is an adept at adaptation beyond com peer. COLESHILL CUSTOM. They have an ancient custom at Coleshill, in the county of Warwick, that if the young men of the town can catch a hare, and bring it to the parson of the parish before ten o'clock on Easter Monday, the parson is bound to give them a calve's head, and a hundred eggs for their breakfast, and a groat in money. RIDING THE BLACK LAD. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, A singular custom prevails at this town on Easter Monday. Every year on that day a rude figure of a man made of an old suit of clothes stuffed with rags, hay, &c. is carried on a horse through all the streets. Biount. The people who attend it call at every public-house, for the purpose of begging liquor for its thirsty attendants, who are always numerous. During its progress the figure is shot at from all parts. When the journey is finished, it is tied to the market cross, and the shooting is continued till it is set on fire, and falls to the ground. The populace then commence tearing the effigy in pieces, trampling it in mud and water, and throwing it in every direction. This riot and confusion are increased by help of a reservoir of water being let off, which runs down the streets, and not unfrequently persons obtain large quantities of hay, rags, &c. independent of that which falls from the effigy. The greatest heroes at this time are of the coarsest nature. The origin of this custom is of so ancient a nature that it admits of no real explanation: some assert that it is intended as a mark of respect to an ancient family others deem it a disrespect. Dr. Hibbert considers it to have the same meaning as the gool-riding in Scotland, established for the purpose of exterminating weed from corn, on pain of forfeiting a wether sheep for every stock of gool found growing in a farmer's corn. Gool is the yellow flower called the corn Marygold. It is further supposed, that this custom originated with one of the Assheton's, who possessed a considerable landed property in this part of Lancashire. He was vicechancellor to Henry VI., who exercised great severity on his own lands, and established the gool or guld riding. He is said to have made his appearance on Easter Monday, clad in black armour, and on horseback, followed by a numerous train for the purpose of claiming the penalties arising from the neglect of farmers clearing their corn of the "carr gulds." The tenants looked upon this visit with horror, and tradition has still perpetuated the prayer that was offered for a deliverance from his power: "Sweet Jesu, for thy mercy's sake, And for thy bitter passion; And from Sir Ralph of Assheton. thought of. The money is now derived from publicans whose interest it is to keep up the custom. An old steel helmet was used some years ago, but it is now no more; a tin one is used instead. This custom is applied to another purpose. The occupation of the last couple married in the old year are represented on the effigy. If a tailor, the shears hang dangling by his side; if a draper, the cloth yard, and so on. The effigy then at the usual time visits the happy couple's door, and unless the bearers are fed in a handsome manner, the dividing gentlemen are not easily got rid of. Some authors state that it is the first couple in the new year; but this is incorrect, as there is always great pressing for marrying on new year's day, in order to be sufficiently early in the year. Such is the custom of Blake Lad Monday -or Riding the Black Lad, a custom which thousands annually witness, and numbers come from great distances to see. It is the most thronged, and the most foolish, day the Ashtonians can boast of. C. C.- -G. M. R. C. S. E. It is observed by the historian of "Manchester and Salford," that the most prevalent of several traditions, as to the origin of this custom, is, that it is kept up to perpetuate the disgraceful actions of sir Ralph Ashton, who in the year 1483, as vice-constable of the kingdom, exercised great severity in this part of the country. From a sum issued out of the court to defray the expense of the effigy, and from a suit of armour, which till of late it usually rode in, together with other traditional particulars, there is another account of the custom. According to this, in the reign of Edward III., at the battle of Neville's Cross, near Durham, his queen, with the earl of Northumberland as general, gained a complete victory over the Scots, under David, king of Scotland, and in this battle one Thomas Ashton of Ashton-underLyne, of whom no other particulars are known, served in the queen's army, rode through the ranks of the enemy, and bore away the royal standard from the Scottish king's tent. For this act of heroism, Edward III. knighted him; he became sir Thomas Ashton, of Ashton-under-Lyne; and to commemorate his valour, he instituted the custom above described, and left ten shillings yearly (since reduced to five) to support it, with his own suit of black velvet, and a coat of mail, the nelmet of which yet remains."* It will be observed in our correspondent's account, that the helmet has at last disappeared. "OLD VINEGAR," and "Hard Metal Spoons." William Conway, who cried "hard metal spoons to sell or change," is mentioned by Mr. J. T. Smith, as a man whose cry is well-known to the inhabitants of London and its environs;" but since Mr. Smith wrote, the "cry" of Conway has ceased from the metropolis, and from the remembrance of all, save a few surviving observers of the manners in humble life that give character to the times. He is noticed here because he introduces another individual connected with the history of the season. Adopting Mr. Smith's language, we must speak of Conway as though his "cry" were still with us. "This industrious man, who has eleven walks in and about London, never had a day's illness, nor has once slept out of his own bed; and let the weather be what it may, he trudges He walks, on an average, twenty-five miles on, and only takes his rest on Sundays. a day; and this he has done for nearly .rom old boots, and a pair will last him forty-four years. His shoes are made frequently found small pieces of money, about six weeks. In his walks he has but never more than a one pound note. He recollects a windmill standing near Moorfields, and well remembers Old way, we should not have known" Old Vinegar." Without this notice of ConVinegar," who made the rings for the boxers in Moorfields, beating the shins of the spectators, and who, after he had arranged the circle, would cry out "mind sticks for the cudgel players, whose your pockets all round." He provided sports commenced on Easter Monday. At in the pastime, and enlivened the day by that time the "Bridewell boys" joined their skill in athletic exercises. WETTING THE BLOCK. The first Monday in March being the time when shoemakers in the country cease from working by candlelight, it * Aikin's Manchester. 1815, 4to. + Smith's Ancient Topography of London, used to be customary for them to meet together in the evening for the purpose of wetting the block. On these occasions the master either provided a supper for his men, or made them a present of money or drink; the rest of the expense was defrayed by subscriptions among themselves, and sometimes by donations from customers. After the supper was ended, the block candlestick was placed in the midst, the shop candle was lighted, and all the glasses being filled, the oldest hand in the shop poured the contents of his glass over the candle to extinguish it: the rest then drank the contents of theirs standing, and gave three cheers. The meeting was usually kept to a late hour. This account of the custom is from personal observation, made many years ago, in various parts of Hampshire, Berkshire, and the adjoining counties. It is now growing into disuse, which I think is not to be regretted; for, as it is mostly a very drunken usage, the sooner it is sobered, or becomes altogether obsolete the better. A SHOEMAKER. N.B. In some places this custom took place on Easter Monday. NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. Mean Temperature ... 45 · 32. March 28. EASTER TUESDAY. Formerly, "in the Easter holidays, was the Clarke's-ale for his private benefit, and the solace of the neighbourhood."* Our ancestors were abundant drinkers; they had their "bride-ales," church-ales," and other sort of ales, and their feats of potation were so great as to be surprising to their posterity; the remainder of whom, in good time, shall be more generally informed of these regular drinking bouts. "Easter-ale" was not always over with Easter week. Excessive fasting begat excessive feasting, and there was no feast in old times without excessive drinking. A morning head-ache from the contents of the tankard was cured by "a hair of the same dog," a phrase well understood by hard-drinkers, signifying that madness from drinking was to be cured by the madness of drinking again. It is in common use with drinkers of punch. * Aubrey. Some of the days in this month seem "For talking age and youthful lovers made." The genial breezes animate declining life, who are about to travel the journey of and waft "visions of glory" to those existence on their own account. In the following lines, which, from the "“Lady's Scrap Book," whence they were extracted, appear to have been communicated to her on this day, by a worthy old gentleman "of the old school," there is a touch of satirical good humour, that may heighten cheerfulness. No FLATTERY To Miss H W March 28, 1825. I never said thy face was fair, Thy cheeks with beauty glowing; I never said thy teeth were white, I never said thy voice so soft, Soft heart but ill concealing; Nor praised thy sparkling glances oft, So well thy thoughts revealing. I never said thy taper form Was, Hannah, more than handsome; Nor said thy heart, so young, so warm, Was worth a monarch's ransom. I never said to young or old I felt no joy without thee: No, Hannah, no, I never told A single lie about thee. cool gush by no means unpleasant, but, on the contrary, contributing towards that cheering and peculiar feeling which we experience only in spring. The sky is clear, the sun flings abroad not only a gladdening splendour, but an almost summer glow. The world seems suddenly aroused to hope and enjoyment. The fields are assuming a vernal greenness, the buds are swelling in the hedges, the banks are displaying amidst the brown remains of last year's vegetation, the luxuriant weeds of this. There are arums, ground-ivy, chervil, the glaucous leaves, and burnished flowers of the pilewort, "The first gilt thing, Which wears the trembling pearls of spring;" and many another fresh and early burst of greenery. All unexpectedly too, in some embowered lane, you are arrested by the delicious odour of violets-those sweetest of Flora's children, which have furnished so many pretty allusions to the poets, and which are not yet exhausted; they are like true friends, we do not know half their sweetness till they have felt the sunshine of our kindness; and again, they are like the pleasures of our childhood, the earliest and the most beautiful. Now, however, they are to be seen in all their glory-blue and white-modestly peering through their thickly clustering leaves. The lark is carolling in the blue fields of air; the blackbird and thrush are again shouting and replying to each other from the tops of the highest trees. As you pass cottages, they have caught the happy infection. There are windows thrown open, and doors standing a-jar. The inhabitants are in their gardens, some cleaning away rubbish, some turning up the light and fresh-smelling soil amongst the tufts of snowdrops and rows of glowing yellow crocuses, which every where abound; and into the first bird's-nest of the season-the hedge-sparrow's, with its four blue eggs, snugly, but unwisely, built in the pile of old pea-rods. In the fields the labourers are plashing and trimming the hedges, and in all directions are teams at plough. You smell the wholesome, and we may truly say, aromatic soil, as it is turned up to the sun, brown and rich, the whole country over. It is delightful as you pass along deep, hollow lanes, or are hidden in copses, to hear the tinkling gears of the horses, and the clear voices of the lads calling to them. It is not less pleasant to catch the busy caw of the rookery, and the first meek cry of the young lambs. The hares are hopping about the fields, the excitement of the season overcoming their habitual timidity. The bees are revelling in the yellow catkins of the sallow. The woods, though yet unadorned with their leafy garniture, are beautiful to look on. They seem flushed with life. Their boughs are of a clear and glossy lead colour, and the tree-tops are rich with the vigorous hues of brown, red, and purple; and if you plunge into their solitudes, there are symptoms of revivification under your feet, the springing mercury, and green blades of the blue-bellsand perhaps, above you, the early nest of the missel-thrush perched between the boughs of a young oak, to tinge your thoughts with the anticipation of summer. These are mornings not to be neglected by the lover of nature; and if not neglected, then, not to be forgotten, for they us live over again times and seasons, in will stir the springs of memory, and make which we cannot, for the pleasure and the purity of our spirits, live too much. Nottingham. W. H. NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. Mean Temperature. . . 45 · 12. March 30. KITTY FISHer. brated female issued a singular advertiseOn the 30th of March, 1759, this celewhich shows her sensitiveness to public ment through the "Public Advertiser," of Bolton. opinion. She afterwards became duchess mortality, and indiscretion seldom or never escapes without censure, the more heavy, as the character is more remarkable; and doubled, nay trebled, by the world, if that character is marked by success: then malice shoots against it all her stings, and the snakes of envy are let loose. To the humane and generous heart then must the injured appeal, and certain relief will be found in impartial honour. Miss Fisher is forced to sue to that jurisdiction to protect her from the baseness of little scribblers, and scurvy malevolence. She has been abused |